![]() Kadjo loved the experience so much she's since become a repeat customer, enjoying the food while remembering the memories from the first night there. There, they talked with the restaurant's owner, Youma Bah, who talked about immigrating from Senegal to Philadelphia, managing hardships and being resourceful when facing difficulties. In addition, he hosted the students for a site visit and African business tour in West Philly, which culminated in a dinner at the Kilimandjaro restaurant on 4519 Baltimore Ave. The president and chief operating officer of AFRICOM, Eric Edi, PhD, was a frequent guest lecturer in the course. We also learned about stories of the community members as African immigrants in Philadelphia," said Maéva Kadjo '24, a management information systems and business analytics major and real estate management and development minor, who took the fall 2022 course. It was also an opportunity for the students and community members to share their cultures with each other. "It was amazing to relate class topics to everyone’s lived experiences. Everyone shared their perspectives - and videos and articles found online - on the topics and the cultural offerings covered in the class. Every week, they discussed social, cultural and political issues during in-person experiences and through group chats and virtual forums using the GroupMe app. "Students from various backgrounds and origin bring rich perspectives to the discussions."Ībout 10 students and 10 community members participated in the course each term. "The most common trait is that these students are curious about the African continent and the cultures, as well as about issues of social justice," said Kouacou. Students came from different majors and countries to speak and write in French with native speakers and consume Francophone West African works of literature and film. Though a level of French proficiency is required for the course, a French minor is not. Students after sampling African food at Kilimandjaro. ![]() The course was so popular with both the students and community partners that after teaching it in the spring of 2021, he ended up teaching the class again in the fall of 2022 - after initially planning to teach the course once every two years. "I wanted to introduce Drexel students to the world of the African immigrant community and help fulfill the ambition of the Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages of training students to become responsible citizens who are aware of both world issues and local concerns," said Kouacou. Throughout the term, students would study the oral history and culture of West Africa through literature and cinema, and then use their freshly acquired knowledge in face-to-face and virtual discussions with native West Africans living in West Philadelphia. The partnership led to the creation of " West Africa to West Philly" (FRENCH 350), an upper-level and community-based learning French class. But what to do? And how?Ī few months later, Kouacou had the answers after researching, reaching out to and later partnering with the Coalition of African and Caribbean Communities (AFRICOM), which supports the city's African and Caribbean immigrant and refugee communities. He also wanted to introduce students to the Francophone African community located close to Drexel's University City Campus. Kouacou knew he wanted to design a course using his expertise (he teaches in the Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages at the College of Arts and Sciences), experiences (he has worked in media and international organizations) and background (he is from Côte d’Ivoire). Drexel supports faculty who develop courses involving Philadelphia neighbors and local organizations to combine experiential learning and civic engagement. I wanted our academic programming to reflect those values," said Parfait Kouacou, PhD, an assistant teaching professor at Drexel University.Ī few months earlier, Kouacou had attended a workshop held by Drexel's Lindy Center for Civic Engagement related to community-based learning and community-engaged pedagogy. ![]() "Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, racial injustice was ripe and ready to be discussed. I started thinking about a course that would strengthen the curriculum and support the University’s commitment to enhance diversity, inclusion, equity and anti-racism. Students discussing African small businesses in West Philly with AFRICOM President and Chief Operating Officer, Eric Edi, PhD, and Youma Bah, a Senegalese entrepreneur, at Bah's Kilimandjaro restaurant at 45th Street and Baltimore Avenue. ![]()
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